White papers

Sports ETA Annual Report

Sport Tourism 101

Expanded Definition of Success

 

Expanded Definition of Success for the Sports Events and Tourism Industry
By Jennifer Stoll, PhD, STS

For many years, the primary metric for success among sports events and tourism organizations has been economic impact, usually equivocated with hotel room night generation. In other words, sports events and tourism’s primary objective was to solicit non-local travelers to a destination resulting in maximum room-night generation – commonly referred to as “heads in beds.” 
As the industry has evolved, it has become apparent that hosting sporting events in a certain locale provides deeper value than solely counting heads in beds. However, despite the growing body of evidence underscoring the widening value of sports events and tourism efforts on the local community, industry-accepted expanded metrics of success have significantly lagged. 

Confining the scope of industry success to room nights presents several limitations to the industry: It does not account for the reality that a variety of reasons exist for hosting an event, not all of which center on filling hotel rooms. This is the why of the event. Every event is different and thus, has a different rationale profile when determining whether to host/build the event and measuring its success. The ranking and scoring of these rationales are also highly audience dependent. 

For example, a community may host an event due to the platform it provides to enhance the destination's brand perception and awareness, or earned media, rather than due to economic impact. This is often the case with large-scale sporting events due to the incremental costs associated with hosting. The collective sports events and tourism industry would be wise to embrace a substantial expansion of what success means and how it is measured.

It limits the ability of sports events and tourism operators from telling the whole story, which is comprised of many facets beyond lodging occupancy. By telling a more complete story about the value of sports events and tourism entity eorts, we can expand funding mechanisms, build ambassadorship, and increase overall organizational sustainability. Short changing the story of events in our destinations stifles our ability to leverage those impacts into broader community value propositions. For example, contribution to the quality of life that is then conveyed in the business recruitment efforts of a community. 

Also, it compromises the industry’s innovation and advocacy potential. Prior to – and now during the pandemic – industry organizations from all segments (destinations, rights holders, industry partners, etc.) find themselves in a crucial position to understand, prove, and articulate a wider value chain back to the community more than ever before. There are small pockets of our forward-thinking industry colleagues who have begun forging through the brush to bring attention to other metrics of success. However, the collective sports events and tourism industry would be wise to embrace a substantial expansion of what success means and how it is measured. Not only is the expanded definition of success conversation emerging in the U.S., but parallel conversations are also occurring at international sport levels as well. 
 

Read Full White Paper


 

Release Date: July, 2021

2015 Report on the Sport Tourism Industry

This report has been prepared by the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) as a service to its membership and on behalf of the sport tourism industry. The NASC promotes industry best practices through its web site and its many meetings, workshops, and webinars.

Release Date: June, 2015

6 Tips for Getting Started in the Sport Tourism Industry

This report provides answers to the six most commonly asked questions by organizations interested in starting or becoming a sports commission.

State of the Industry

2019 State of the Industry

This landmark study presents the most comprehensive and representative data quantifying the value of sports-related travel in the United States. Conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, the report incorporates original data from Sports ETA with Longwoods International Travel Survey Data, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Labor Statistics data, U.S. Travel Association data together with NCAA and annual sports attendance figures.

Release date: September 1, 2020

View the full report.

2017 State of the Industry

A research team from Ohio University Sports Administration worked with the NASC to create the 2017 State of the Industry Report. The research team was tasked with creating and distributing a survey, collecting and analyzing the gathered data, and identifying current trends within the Sports Tourism Industry. Some key takeaways to note include a 37% increase in direct spending related to sports event and tourism since 2013, a 27% increase in owned and operated events since 2016 as well as a decrease in bid fees of 15%.

Release Date: July, 2018

2016 State of the Industry

A research team from Ohio University Sports Administration worked with the NASC to create the 2016 State of the Industry Report. The research team was tasked with creating and distributing a survey, collecting and analyzing the gathered data, and identifying current trends within the Sports Tourism Industry. The overall response rate increased from 115 participants in 2015 to 226 participants in 2016. Not all respondents completed each question. Seventy percent of respondents classified themselves as a Convention and Visitors Bureau/Destination Marketing Organization, an increase of 8% from 2015. Other classifications included: nonprofit youth sports, parks and recreation, and city government organizations.

Release Date: April, 2017

2015 State of the Industry

There continues to be solid growth in visitor spending in the sport tourism industry. In 2014, the survey results indicated an estimated $8.96 billion in visitor spending related to sports events and 2015 estimated visitor spending was $9.45 billion.

Release Date: April, 2016

2014 State of the Industry

Please note that the following report was written based on the responses from a statistically significant group of 97 organizations that are members of the National Association of Sports Commissions. Rates of change and other figures represented throughout this report are calculated from the responses of the sample.

Release Date: April, 2015

2013 State of the Industry

Please note that the following report was written based on the responses from a statistically significant group of 97 organizations that are members of the National Association of Sports Commissions. Rates of change and other figures represented throughout this report are calculated from the responses of the sample.

Release Date: March, 2014

2012 State of the Industry

Please note that the following report was written based on the responses from a statistically significant group of 101 organizations that are members of the National Association of Sports Commissions. Rates of change and other figures represented throughout this report are calculated from the responses of the sample.

Release Date: April, 2013

2011 State of the Industry

This report was written based on the responses from a statistically significant group of 150 organizations that are members of the National Association of Sports Commissions. Rates of change and other figures represented throughout this report are calculated from the responses of the sample.

Release Date: April, 2012

Visitor Spending

Economic Impact Whitepaper (3rd Edition)

This revision is dated August, 2015. It is important to note the paper was developed and then revised ten years later by persons engaged in the sports event industry and not by professional researchers. This is a deliberate choice: we are more concerned with the need for estimates and their practical application than in an academic discussion. Much is made of the importance of clearly defining the methods used to create an estimate. And, we remain concerned as an industry about the continuing temptation to treat estimates as fact when no one can know what will or might have happened.

Release Date: August, 2015

Calculating and Reporting Economic Impact Results: A Guide for NASC Members

The issue of how to calculate and report economic impact results has long been an issue of contention, and certainly so among the membership of the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC). In an effort to empower NASC members with a better handle of how to calculate and report economic impact results, Sportsimpacts has created a tool that – if used properly – will allow NASC members to approximate the economic impact of events, and to report on its findings properly. Subsequently, this white paper should be considered a supplement to the tool in the hopes that it will guide the user successfully through the use of the tool.

Prepared by National Association of Sports Commissions In conjunction with Dr. Patrick Rishe, Sportsimpacts, Webster University.

Site Selection

Site Selection Study of NASC Event Rights Holders

Submitted to the NASC by: David J. Shonk, James Madison University and T. Christopher Greenwell, University of Louisville

The purpose of the study was to determine the most salient site selection factors perceived by representatives of organizations who hold the rights to sporting events. A secondary purpose was to examine satisfaction levels of rights holders and the intent to return their sport event to a particular destination.

Release Date: January, 2010

SFIA Trend Reports

The NASC is proud to partner with SFIA and Sports Marketing Surveys through the NASC's license agreement with SFIA and Sports Marketing Surveys, NASC members have access to important industry reports free of charge. If you are interested purchasing other reports on participation and trends not outlined below, click here.